[ ABSTRAK Kawaii dan karakter merupakan salah satu budaya populer Jepang yang banyak digandrungi dalam berbagai cara, gaya, dan bentuk. Perusahaan Sanrio melihat peluang ini dan menciptakan karakter-karakter kartun yang ditambahkan dengan kesan kawaii. Karakter terkenal seperti Hello Kitty sebagai pemicu keberhasilan Sanrio yang akhirnya menjadikan perusahaan ini sebagai perusahaan yang memproduksi banyak karakter-karakter kawaii lainnya dan mengubah kawaii menjadi komoditas dan merek dagang yang sangat populer di seluruh Jepang dan dunia. Produksi karakter kawaii dengan jumlah yang besar, cakupan pemasaran yang luas, penggunaan media massa, dan tingginya minat masyarakat terhadap keunikan karakter Sanrio menjadikan Sanrio sebagai salah satu perusahaan raksasa Jepang dalam industri karakter serta menjadikan karakter kawaii sebagai salah satu bagian dari banyaknya budaya populer di Jepang .

---

ABSTRACT Kawaii and characters is one of the most popular culture in Japan which so much beguiled in many ways, styles and forms. Sanrio company see this opportunity and created cartoon characters with adding kawaii image Famous character such as Hello Kitty was prompt in Sanrio's success that in the end made this company as a company that produced many other kawaii characters and changed kawaii into commodity and trade mark that really popular in Japan and all over the world. The production of this kawaii characters in big scale, large scope of marketing, utilization of mass media, and the great interest of society towards the uniqueness of Sanrio's characters made Sanrio as the one of giant company in Japan in character industry and also making kawai character as a part of many popular culture in Japan., Kawaii and characters is one of the most popular culture in Japan which so much beguiled in many ways, styles and forms. Sanrio company see this opportunity and created cartoon characters with adding kawaii image Famous character such as Hello Kitty was prompt in Sanrio's success that in the end made this company as a company that produced many other kawaii characters and changed kawaii into commodity and trade mark that really popular in Japan and all over the world. The production of this kawaii characters in big scale, large scope of marketing, utilization of mass media, and the great interest of society towards the uniqueness of Sanrio's characters made Sanrio as the one of giant company in Japan in character industry and also making kawai character as a part of many popular culture in Japan.]